[Rufus]

OK, I can layer, apply fx's etc, but now I'm stuck again! :/

Take a lens, for example:

Nice shot of lens, cut from BG, applied to fake paper BG and shadowed. Easy.

BUT. :/

Suppose I want to effect that shadow to bend it, or, more likely, give the impression of a shadow created by a specifically placed light source. The drop shadow layer adjustment will only re-position the whole shadow! :x
Now I see the liquify or distort filters will do this no prob, but my shadow is on the layer WITH the lens pic! :o Can I shadow to a new layer? How? :/
Is there a way that I'm missing here??? :/

[StudioJ]

Rufus,

Since you have it on a fake background you can try this...

Select the lens and then create a new layer, fill the selection with white and then create your drop shadow, rasterize the layer and then delete the white selection and the shadow will stay on its own layer.

[Rufus]

Thanks James, BUT...........................

Select the lens and then create a new layer,CHECK! fill the selection with white and then create your drop shadow, CHECK! rasterize the layer ...............CANT, WONT DO IT!

and then delete the white selection and the shadow will stay on its own layer.

[Rufus]

I tried this image of my watch. :o :o :o :o :o

[StudioJ]

Eeek!

I stuffed up sorry, can't for the life of me remember how I've done it before but I thought that was it. You can flatten it and copy the shadow and paste it back into your image as another layer and make the solid white transparent in layer properties but it might make the shadows weird.

[guerito]

Rufus: When you have your drop shadow layer effect, rightclick the effects row in the layers window and select "Create Layer". This will create a new layer with just the shadow.

Hope this helps, my copy of PS is in German and I'm never quite sure about the English terms.

[Rufus]

Genius!


I'm sending you a present!

[Petographer]

Hey, I have a Seiko very similar.

[guerito]

Thanks, Roof! (Crunch)

[Rufus]

Hey, I have a Seiko very similar.

Ah!

I've had mine a few years now. Seems very robust! (I break most, and actually generally refuse to wear any type of jewelery. It took NN 20 years to get me to wear a wedding ring!!

[Rufus]

Thanks, Roof! (Crunch)

Thank you!

[Rufus]

Boy, I'm really having a laugh with this!!!

[slejhamer]

Is this sort of what you're trying to do?



Here are the steps I used:



Pretty simple stuff. The tough thing to do, given the way the watch is lit, is create realistic directional light.

The shadow part is very easy. Do NOT use the drop shadow layer effect. Select the watch, create a new layer, fill in the selection with black, blur it, go to edit>distort and move it around, and adjust opacity. I added the soft light layer to even it out a bit.

Edit: I forgot to change the light direction on the bg! LOL.

Edit #2: You CAN use the drop shadow effect as long as you put it on a separate layer as Guerito suggests. Then follow the rest of the steps.

Guerito - that's a great tip. I learned something today!

[Rufus]

Great. Marvellous. Flippin' fan-flippin-tastic.

See, I'm practising like mad!

[Steve Ellis]

Ahh Rufus...
I see you have the pot noodle horn !

Great pic by the way

[slejhamer]

Mucho better!